End of the third week: Starting Physical Therapy
Today I had my first Physical Therapy appointment for recovering from my ACL Reconstruction. As I expected we started by taking measurements of how far i could bend and flex the joint as well as measuring the size of my quads, calfs and knee.
We then moved to a stationary bike where i was quickly able to go all the way around with no resistance. This is the one activity I remember from my previous recovery. It felt so, so good to be back on a bike even if it was stationary with no resistance.
Following the bike my therapist put me on the “total gym” which is a contraption that allows you to do a kind of diagonal squat. This was harder, but it felt truly fantastic to be bending my joints and using my muscles which have atrophied so much. After five minutes my knee felt loose and my leg muscles were delightfully tired.
Following this the therapist helped me with some stretching, another sensation i’ve been missing. Getting the back of my left leg stretched out felt simply fantastic. She assigned me some stretches to do at home.
Following the stretching she showed me some variations on leg lifts which will help to strengthen my whole leg and protect my healing joint.
That last thing was getting some electrodes attached to my knee, having my knee packed in ice and sitting still while the elecricity passed through my knee for 15 minutes. This was really an interesting sensation and i’ll try my best to get pictures of it next time it happents.
Hi Henry and Eric!
Thanks so much for sharing your stories. It’s very informative for me as I’m now considering my first ACL surgery with meniscus repair. I first injured my knee 10 years ago playing basketball. At that time, the doctors opted for the therapy only recovery route because I was only 14 and therefore not a good candidate for surgery. Essentially that means I’ve been living with pain and a limited activity level ever since. I finally had enough (after having a week last month where my knee couldn’t support any weight) and saw a specialist yesterday. He said I have chronic ACL deficiency and I should have surgery. He’s a fan of the allograft and thinks it would be good for me to get me back to work faster. He told me to do some research and I’m getting a MRI next week. I’ll see him again the first week of Jan to discuss all of my options.
Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know I really appreciate that you are both sharing everything you’ve been through. I will keep in touch about what I decide to do and check in to see how your recoveries are going. I wish you both the best!
Hi Ruth,
Glad we could be of help. If your doctor is most comfortable with the allograft, then it probably is the way to go. We’ve both had one of each and there are pros and cons of each. After using the hamstring this second time, I do agree that the allograft has a quicker short-term recovery (less trauma because they don’t remove the hamstring part). I think its a little strange for the doctor to be talking about surgery before your MRI, but my MRI on my first ACL was inconclusive anyway, until they went in and felt how loose it was (hanging by a thread). Good luck with your MRI next week. Its a lot of noise and such but think happy thoughts. Sorry that you’ll have to go through what we are too, but it will all be better someday and that’s what’s important.
Best,
Eric
Hi Henry and Eric,
I had my ACL repaired 18 months ago using a hamstring tendon. I am back to all my pre-ACL surgery activities including karate. I know that keeping my knee healthy and strong will be a daily part of my life. Good luck to you both on your recovery. I have added your link to my blog.
Thanks, Michele